Today the world celebrates World Emoji Day occurring on July 17 to celebrate the colourful realm of emojis. In the years since the earliest observance, July 17 has become a popular date to make announcements and releases related to emoji. Originally meaning pictograph, the word emoji comes from Japanese e alphabet meaning picture and moji meaning character. The resemblance to the English words emotion and emoticon is purely coincidental. The first emoji sets were created by Japanese portable electronic device companies in the late 1980s and the 1990s.
The primary function of modern emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from typed conversation as well as to replace words as part of a logographic system. Emoji exist in various genres, including facial expressions, expressions, activity, food and drinks, celebrations, flags, objects, symbols, places, types of weather, animals and nature.
In Goa, everyone uses emojis frequently in daily chat on their smartphones. Andre Brágánça uses a lot of emojis. He admits using the laughter emoji frequently. He says, “It adds layers to my communication and makes it more interesting. I have been using them for the past three or four years.” His brother Alan was another user of emojis in his communication online.
Omi, a musician and a passionate user of emoji’s says, “Emojis are useful in digital communication as they add emotional nuance and clarity, making messages more engaging and easier to understand. They bridge the gap between written and spoken language by conveying tone, intent, and emotions that words alone might not fully capture”.
Upesh Morajkar, a restaurant manager on the cruise says, “Emojis are highly helpful in today's world as they enhance communication by providing emotional context and clarity. They can quickly convey feelings and reactions, making messages more expressive and engaging. In a globalized and fast-paced digital environment, emojis can transcend language barriers, fostering better understanding and connection between people.”
Viresh Vazirani, the CEO of a communication company feels that in the world of texting and chatting, emojis were super important because they make the messages more fun and easy to understand. Due to the informal appeal, a lot of official releases, brand content also is leveraging emojis on social media, website, offline ads to connect with the youth. He says, “The most common emojis that everyday conversations are based on would certainly be the thumbs up, heart sign, crying and laughter emojis. Using emojis makes our messages feel more like real conversations, full of feelings and expressions, just like when we talk face-to-face. In one tiny character, an emoji can say so much, making our chats more colourful and full of life.”
Shanu Petta Naik, an accountant, however feels that an emojis can oversimplify communication, leading to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the intended message. He says, “Relying too heavily on emojis can diminish the depth and richness of written language. Emojis can sometimes be ambiguous, causing confusion rather than clarity in communication.”
Similar fears were expressed by Reshu Devasthali, an event manager, who feels the overuse of emojis may make professional communication appear less serious or credible. Emojis can be misused or misinterpreted, especially across different cultures and age groups. Point to be noted.
However, photographer Devraj Patel has no such qualms. He has been using emojis for five year every day in his communication. He says, “It expresses my emotions better and adds more depth and ensures a personal touch.” What is his favourite emoji? “It is the fist pump,” he says.
A HR professional, Sarah Lobo, has been using emojis for a long time since she first had a phone. She feels it helps her express her feelings better and adds more depth to her communication. Her favourite emojis were the pink heart and the sad face.
Emojis seem very popular across age groups and professions and the use of Whatsapp has helped in its proliferation. Perhaps in days ahead more innovative emojis will be created to present emotions in even more interesting manner. Time will tell.